IS84.] 



Nelson on ne-v Races of North Amcricaii Bird.^- IQ!^ 



p.S. — Since writinjij the above I have received and read Dr. J. G. Coo- 

 per's paper 'On a new Cormorant from the Farallone Islands, California.'* 

 This is the Graculus bairdi Gruber, MSS., which Mr. Ridgwaj refers 

 to P. violaccus resplcndeus. From the description given in the above-cited 

 paper I might be led to think that the birds I have described must be 

 Baird's Cormorant instead of the Violet-green, did not Dr. Cooper speak 

 of the variety found on the coast of California as differing from the birds 

 of the Oregon and Washington coasts in having, among other things, 

 "conspicuous white patches on the flanks." But the birds, of the Wash- 

 ington coast and vicinity have, as stated above, the white flank-patches, and 

 also the color and markings given by Dr. Cooper for the more southern 

 bird. The only diff"erence (so far as I can judge) is the alleged smaller 

 size of the so-called southern variety. But Dr. Cooper's measurements 

 do not show this diflference ; and as Dr. G. Suckley, in his report on water 

 birds in 'Explorations and Surveys for the Pacific Railroad' (Vol. XII, pt. 

 2, p. 268), gives the color of the female as brown, is it not possible that Mr. 

 Gruber and others referred to by Dr. Cooper were of the same opinion, 

 and that notes and measurements of specimens sent the Smithsonian In- 

 stitution have not been from specimens sexually determined by dissection? 

 If so the difference in size would be accounted for. But be this as it 

 may, further investigation appears necessary to establish the validity of 

 this supposed variety. 



[The birds met with by Mr. Goss were apparently P. violacens resplen- 

 dens. My reference of Graculus bairdi Gruber to P. resplendens Aud. 

 is based on an actual comparison of the type specimen of the latter with 

 typical examples of the former, from the Farallone Islands. They are 

 identical, except that the type of resflende7ts has no flank-patches ; but, as 

 Mr. Goss observes, this is purely a seasonal character, said white patches 

 being present only in the breeding season. The true P. violaceus is a 

 much more northern bird than resplendeus, and differs chiefly, if not only, 

 in its larger size. Its distribution extends from Kamtschatka through the 

 Aleutian chain, and thence south along the coast of Alaska for an unde- 

 termined distance, but it probably does not occur on the coast of Washing- 

 ton Territory or Oregon, except in winter. — Robert Ridgway.] 



^ BRIEF DIAGNOSES OF TWO NEW RACES OF 

 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



BY E. W. NELSON. 



I. PIcoides tridactylus alascensis. Alaskan Three-toed Wood- 

 pecker. — SuBSP. Char.: — Differing from P. tridactylus americaiius 

 in having the back much more broadly barred with white, the white bars 



* Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., XVII, 1865, pp. 5, 6. 



